ELREEN ANN ANDO leads a weightlifting team without Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo and the swimming association hopes for a bounce back by Kayla Sanchez in the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games in September.
Boxing association honorary chairman Ricky Vargas also boldly declared Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial should be in Nagoya all the way to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The Asian Games are set September 19 to October 4.
Diaz Naranjo begs off
THE country’s first Olympic gold medalist, Hidilyn Diaz Naranjo, begged off from competing in the Asian Games, according to Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) national coach Patrick Lee.
‘She [Diaz-Naranjo] informed us that she’ll skip the Asian Games because of personal reasons,’ lee said. ‘And I’m sure she’ll announce it herself one of these days.’
Diaz placed fourth place in the women’s 59 kgs class where Ando clinched a bronze medal in the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games.
In Diaz Naranjo’s place as leader of the weightlifting squad is citing two-time Olympian Elreen Ann Ando (women 61 kgs), who will be joined by Rosegie Ramos (women 53 kgs), Kristel Macrohon (women 69 kgs) Ian Delos Santos (men 70 kgs) and Eleaphraime Limmomg (men 60 kgs).
‘They are on our short list and we believe they could provide us the best results in the Asian Games,’ Lee said.
Ando is a two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, while De los Santos ruled his division in the world junior championships last May in Egypt.
Ramos also won a gold medal in the Asia youth championships in Uzbekistan and Macrohon won gold at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Kayla magic in Nagoya
PHILIPPINE Aquatic Inc. (PAI) secretary-general Eric Buhain said they are hoping for Kayla Sanchez to flash the same magic that made her one of the most successful Filipinos at the Bangkok Southeast Asian Games October.
‘We are hoping for Kayla, and the rest to sustain, to sustain their charge in the Asian Games,’ said Buhain who, however, threw caution that the Asian Games are an Olympic-level competition with swimmers from China, Japan and South Korea seeing action.
Sanchez had a forgettable swim in her Asian Games debut in Hangzhou but recovered in Bangkok with three gold medals in the 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and and 4×100 freestyle relay.
She also had five silver medals in the 200m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke and two women’s relays.
Joining Sanchez, according to Buhain, are Xiandi Chua, Teia Salvino, Heather White, Logan Noguchi and Gian Santos.
‘We are not coming home empty handed again, hopefully,’ Buhain said.
There wasn’t any medal from the pool in Hangzhou with Ryan Papa winning the country’s last Asian Games gold medal in men’s 200 backstroke at the 1998 Bangkok edition.
Vargas: We need Eumir
RICKY VARGAS believes Eumir Felix Marcial is a staple not only in the Asian Games but also in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
‘We really need Eumir [Marcial] to compete for our country in the Asian Games all the way to LA,’ Vargas told BusinessMirror on Thursday.
Marcial missed the men’s 80 kgs gold in Hangzhou after he lost to China’s Tanglatihan Tuohetaerbieke via split decision in a controversy-marred final. Josef Ramos
‘His only formidable opponent is himself,’ Vargas said. ‘If he overcomes that, there is an absolute chance that he will win.’
Marcial-currently based in Tokyo sparring with boxers his size and weight which are a scarcity in the country-is also on stand by for his eight pro fight since his successful stint at the ‘Thrilla in Manila 2’ in Cubao last October.